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The McCains and War: Like Father, Like Son
TIME Magazine ^ | July 29, 2006 | MASSIMO CALABRESI

Posted on 07/29/2006 11:54:19 AM PDT by West Coast Conservative

This September, Senator John McCain's youngest son, Jimmy, 18, will report to a U.S. Marine Corps depot near Camp Pendleton in San Diego. After three months of boot camp and a month of specialized training, he will be ready to deploy. Depending on the unit he joins, he could be in Iraq as early as this time next year, and his chances of seeing combat at some point are high. Of the 178,000 active-duty Marines in the world, some 80,000 have seen a tour in Iraq or Afghanistan, and there are 25,000 bearing the brunt of some of the worst fighting in Iraq now. About 6,000 Marines have been wounded there, and about 650 have been killed. "I'm obviously very proud of my son," says the elder McCain, "but also understandably a little nervous."

At 70 years old, McCain might have thought his days of living in the shadow of family military men were behind him. His grandfather, Admiral John S. McCain Sr., served in the Pacific in WW II and was present at the Japanese surrender aboard the U.S.S. Missouri. His father, Admiral John S. McCain Jr., commanded U.S. forces in the Pacific during Vietnam, when the young McCain was a prisoner of war in Hanoi. But if the old men cast long shadows, McCain is about to learn that the young ones can too.

Jimmy McCain's deployment will affect more than his family. His father is a leading contender for the White House in 2008. If Jimmy deploys to combat, it appears McCain will join F.D.R. to become one of the very few American presidential candidates ever to have had a son at war. And even the prospect of Jimmy's service will shade the race. Iraq is the most important strategic and political issue facing the U.S. Many Democrats are calling for troop withdrawal to begin immediately, and the Bush Administration is struggling to reduce troop strength by the end of the year. McCain, for his part, is the leading voice calling for increasing the number of U.S. troops there.

In the way that happens more frequently in fiction than in life, a McCain family drama is replaying itself here. As a prisoner of war, Senator McCain voluntarily declined an offer of early release by his Vietnamese captors, extending his stay at the Hanoi Hilton by almost four years and nine months. During that time, his father continued to approve air strikes against Hanoi, knowing his son was there. Now comes Jimmy McCain, putting himself in the line of fire even as his father calls for more troops to be sent to war.

Named after McCain's father-in-law, James Hensley, Jimmy is the lively, happy-go-lucky member of the clan, friends say. During the 2000 campaign, a Boston Globe reporter spotted Jimmy, then 11, chasing his older brother Jack around the house calling him a "pork-barrel spender" — a deep cut in the McCain home. During the same year, when McCain was on the road in New Hampshire, the candidate proudly read aloud from a school report on General George S. Patton by Jimmy that he had faxed to him: "The Tanks Will Roll On."

McCain's personal influences on Jimmy appear to have outweighed the privileges that came with being his son. McCain is rock-star famous, and his wife Cindy came to the marriage with money as the daughter of a Budweiser distributor. While others have signed up for duty — the sons of both Senator Christopher Bond of Missouri and Tim Johnson of South Dakota have served combat missions in Iraq — it is nonetheless unusual for children of that background to enlist. By comparison, a recent study by Public Citizen's Congress Watch found at least 32 examples of congressional family members who were lobbyists.

Jimmy knows the risks of war from his father's descriptions of battle, imprisonment and torture in Vietnam. The Senator's book, Faith of My Fathers, dryly relates the experience of "small pieces of hot shrapnel" tearing "into my legs and chest," and of how, in solitary confinement, "the first few weeks are the hardest," as "the onset of despair is immediate" and "formidable." Not exactly a prime recruiting tool for your kids. Still, McCain the elder is phlegmatic. "I don't think there's anything unusual about Jimmy," he says, "There are, thank God, lots of young men and women like him."

In some ways, though, Jimmy is breaking with tradition, rather than following it. His brother Jack, now 20, has just finished his plebe year at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, where his father, grandfather and great-grandfather went before him. And McCain, the Naval aviator and keen interservice competitor, has been known to crack more than a few jokes at the Marines expense. McCain says he doesn't read much into Jimmy's decision. "I know that he's aware of his family's service background," he says, "But I think the main motivator was, he had friends who were in the Marine Corps, and he'd known Marines, and he'd read about them, and he just wanted to join up."

McCain says his son's service won't change his position on the war; he claims it won't even affect how he feels about it. "Like every parent who has a son or daughter serving that way, you will have great concern, but you'll also have great pride," McCain says. But it will be hard to ignore. If Republicans retain control of the Senate after November's midterm elections, McCain is due to ascend to the chairmanship of the Armed Services Committee in January, a position he has long aimed for. There he will have day-to-day responsibility for the oversight of the war.

And then there's 2008. McCain already has strong national-security credentials. His son's service only strengthens his position. It will neutralize the assertions of the left that Republicans are "chicken hawks," pursuing the war for ideological reasons without any connection to the pain of it. And it will likely have a broader affect on McCain's credibility. Critics have accused McCain of pandering to the right in order to solidify his front-runner status, but the power of that argument is diminished if McCain is seen steadfastly supporting a war even as it endangers his youngest son.

More than anything else, though, the country may find itself viewing Iraq through McCain's eyes as it follows his son's progress. And nothing is more powerful for a candidate than sympathy. Nothing, too, is more irritating to McCain: he seems annoyed by the interest in his son's enlistment. In mid-June, he requested that Time not run this story and only relented when it appeared other organizations might break the news. In response to most of the heavier questions about Jimmy's motivation and the influence he may have felt from his family, McCain doesn't want to play. "He's an 18-year-old kid," McCain says, and he no doubt remembers what that means. The Senator was such a hell-raiser as a plebe and a pilot that he was nearly forced out of the academy.

Whatever Jimmy's enrollment says about him, his father or the country, candidate McCain is letting it speak for itself, for the most part. Often the clan gathers for a popular July 4 barbeque at McCain's cabin in Arizona. But this year, instead, McCain canceled the picnic, and the Senator, his wife Cindy and Jimmy went to the Quinault Indian reservation in Washington State. "We went fishing and hiking and enjoyed the rain forest there as well as the salmon fishing, although we didn't catch any salmon," he says. "Cindy and I were able to spend a weekend with him. And it was fine."


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; US: Arizona; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: grunts; iraq; leatherneck; marine; marines; mccain; mccain2008; military; usmc; vietnam
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To: Alexander Rubin

Sorry, I think of the word schizophrenic when I think of McCain.


41 posted on 07/29/2006 1:47:00 PM PDT by raybbr (You think it's bad now - wait till the anchor babies start to vote.)
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To: rock58seg

No way ?????? When you look across the ballot and see Billary you might think again!!!! Never say never


42 posted on 07/29/2006 1:47:24 PM PDT by jayadams
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To: jayadams

Not even then would I vote for McCain. Hillary is evil but McCain is freaking insane. I wouldn't vote for either one of them EVER.


43 posted on 07/29/2006 2:06:05 PM PDT by packrat35 (guest worker/day worker=SlaveMart)
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To: jayadams
I was called recently by and RNC volunteer looking for a donation. When I expressed my dissatisfaction with the way the party is moving, the monstrosity of the Senate immigration legislation, the spending, the lack of interest in securing our borders...the volunteer went into "talking points" mode, and basically said I'd have to put up with anything the Republicans said I had to put up with because the alternative was Hillary.

I could almost see him waving a Hillary sock puppet and squeaking "Boo! Boo!"

I'm not scared of Hillary, not enough to be completely taken for granted by the Republicans. Joe Sixpack is being treated the way the Democrats treat blacks. Joe Sixpack isn't going to go along with that.

44 posted on 07/29/2006 2:10:30 PM PDT by Mamzelle
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To: Jameison
I think a whole bunch of folks are jumping the shark. Not only is it still early in the debate for 2008, once conservatives better understand Giuliani`s full political record, they'll find him even more unacceptable then McCain. I seriously doubt Rudy can win enough GOP primaries to secure the nomination. Hopefully Republicans will have a choice of several solid conservative candidates to choose from, beyond McCain and/or Giuliani.

A social liberal like Rudy has no chance with conservatives here in El Paso County Colorado/Colorado Springs. They've no intention of voting for Rudy. I won't vote for Rudy either.

BTW. The recent Gallup poll you mentioned, was the same poll that showed 61% of Republicans find Dick Cheney unaccpetable as a candidate for 2008. LOL Right!

45 posted on 07/29/2006 2:22:05 PM PDT by Reagan Man (Conservatives don't support amnesty and conservatives don't vote for liberals!)
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To: Reagan Man
"once conservatives better understand Giuliani`s full political record, they'll find him even more unacceptable then McCain."

Doubt it.
I pretty much cover a fair number of conservative blogs from Powerline to Townhall to Instapundit, Hugh Hewitt, etc.
There is hardly any of them that have anything good to say about McCain, and they all pretty much know exactly who McCain is, and who Rudy is.
Just look at the polls here a few weeks ago for 2008, where McCain got a measly 2.7%! And FR is as conservative as they come.
McCain has spent the past 6 years really annoying conservatives, while pandering to the drive-by media.
He is simply paying the price for his own actions.

But hey, feel free to live in dreamland.
46 posted on 07/29/2006 2:34:33 PM PDT by Jameison
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To: Reagan Man
"A social liberal like Rudy has no chance with conservatives here in El Paso County Colorado/Colorado Springs"

That's not what the reality on the ground today says.
Conservatives have consistently chosen Rudy even over the more Conservative McCain.


"The recent Gallup poll you mentioned, was the same poll that showed 61% of Republicans find Dick Cheney unaccpetable as a candidate for 2008"

Might have something to do with the fact that Cheney is not running, and will never run.
Same reason Jeb has been running low in most polls for 2008 as well.
47 posted on 07/29/2006 2:40:23 PM PDT by Jameison
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To: Alexander Rubin

bttt


48 posted on 07/29/2006 2:44:32 PM PDT by ConservativeMan55
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To: Jameison
Appears we're on two different wave lengths. I've lived in El Paso County/Colorado Springs for 30 years. I know the politics of Colorado. Grew up in NYCity, Brooklyn. I know all about the liberal politics of the Big Apple too. I know what makes Rudy tick. And I have a fair amount of contact with conservatives from California to Florida, and in flyover country USA. Most conservatives I speak to won't vote for a liberal in the GOP primary. That includes Rudy Giuliani.

Many of the so-called "popular" conservative bloggers I've come across, are actually libertarian minded folks or ex-Democrats who can be catagorized as neocons and RINO`s. Not saying they like McCain. While they might be more forgiving of a social liberal like Rudy, mainstream Reagan conservatives aren't under any illusion about Rudy`s political record.

If Giuliani were fortunate to get the GOP nomination and become POTUS, he would be the most liberal President in US history. More liberal then Clinton, Carter, LBJ, JFK, Truman and FDR. And that's just the Democrats. LOL

49 posted on 07/29/2006 3:03:44 PM PDT by Reagan Man (Conservatives don't support amnesty and conservatives don't vote for liberals!)
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To: Reagan Man
"Many of the so-called "popular" conservative bloggers I've come across, are actually libertarian minded folks or ex-Democrats who can be catagorized as neocons and RINO`s."?

Neocons or RINO's?
The 2 couldn't be more apart.
And I wouldn't call Powerline, Hugh Hewitt or Captain's Quarters etc either necon or RINO.
They all pretty much fall into mainstream conservatism in this country.
And every poll from conservatives has pretty much confirmed what the conservative blogs, Rush Limbaugh, conservative talk radio etc have been saying : Conservatives don't have much use for McCain.
I think you are living in dreamland.
50 posted on 07/29/2006 3:18:53 PM PDT by Jameison
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To: Reagan Man
"Most conservatives I speak to won't vote for a liberal in the GOP primary. That includes Rudy Giuliani. "

I am sure you know plenty of people. It still doesn't cover what practically every poll taken this year for 2008 covers.
And practically all of them have Rdy not only beating McCain, they have him beating Hitelry as well.
51 posted on 07/29/2006 3:21:35 PM PDT by Jameison
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To: Reagan Man

If you're taking a tally, I'd go Giuliani over McCain...if for no other reason than that pesky little emotional instability thing that nags McCain.


52 posted on 07/29/2006 3:33:25 PM PDT by ErnBatavia (Meep Meep)
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To: Jameison
Lets return you to reality. Conservative reality.

>>>>Conservatives don't have much use for McCain. I think you are living in dreamland.

If I was you, I'd work on my reading comprehesion skills. Never said conservatives approve of McCain. The issue has been Giuliani vs McCain, and in that matchup conservatives would reluctantly choose McCain over the liberal Giulaini. The Christian conservatives who constitute the Religious Right of the GOP, aren't about to vote for a pro-abortion, pro-homo, pro-gun control, pro-illegal, northeast liberal from NYCity, with a questionable record on matters realted to fiscal responsibility.

>>>>Neocons or RINO's?
The 2 couldn't be more apart.

You're sure about that?

The textbook definition of "neocon", aka."neoconservative" is,

***a former liberal espousing political conservatism
***a conservative who advocates the assertive promotion of democracy and U.S. national interest in international affairs including through military means

Irving Kristol is a neocon. In fact, Irving Kristol is the Father of American neoconservatism. A former liberal, who calls himself a conservative, but one who still supports the New Deal policies of FDR. His son, Bill Kristol, is also a neocon. The latter Kristol supports foreign policy adventurism that spreads democracy through heavy handed military force. Both Kristol's advocate and support big government Republicanism, along with being pro-abortion.

Both men could be classified as RINO`s. Especially the elder Kristol.

Charles Krauthammer is another neocon, aka.libertarian.

Neocon, libertarian and liberal Republicans ALL have been classiifed as RINO`s at one time or another.

53 posted on 07/29/2006 3:51:38 PM PDT by Reagan Man (Conservatives don't support amnesty and conservatives don't vote for liberals!)
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To: ErnBatavia
I know McCain isn't popular around FR. Only 39% of FReepers supported him versus Hillary Rotten in a recent FR POll Question. While 69% of FReepers supported RudyG against Hillary.

If by emotional instability you mean, McCain has a bad temper, I agree. If you mean McCain is insane or crazy, I disagree. I have problems with McCain based on his support for CFR and liberal immigration reform that promotes amnesty. I also didn't like his torture amendment in the last defense appropriations bill. OTOH, Bush signed off on CFR and McCain's torture amnedment. Bush and McCain also agree on liberal immigration reform policy.

54 posted on 07/29/2006 4:02:06 PM PDT by Reagan Man (Conservatives don't support amnesty and conservatives don't vote for liberals!)
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To: freema; Alexander Rubin
"Hey Salem, McCain's son is joining the Marines and going to war. Better alert some of the FReeper Marines and Marine veterans, to give him the ol' virtual "Semper Fi"."
55 posted on 07/29/2006 4:32:40 PM PDT by Salem (FREE REPUBLIC - Fighting to win within the Arena of the War of Ideas! So get in the fight!)
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To: Salem; 2111USMC; 2nd Bn, 11th Mar; 68 grunt; A.A. Cunningham; ASOC; AirForceBrat23; Ajnin; ...

Sweet of you to think of them, Salem.

But I ping with one condition.



Don't you dare fight each other over this one.
I can't have ya'll mad at each other.



56 posted on 07/29/2006 4:43:31 PM PDT by freema (Marine FRiend, 1stCuz2xRemoved, Mom, Aunt, Sister, Friend, Wife, Daughter, Niece)
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To: freema
The way I see it, once he enters basic training, he belongs to the Marines, no matter what his family background or connections are.

I know his DI's won't care! LOL!!  !

57 posted on 07/29/2006 5:12:04 PM PDT by Salem (FREE REPUBLIC - Fighting to win within the Arena of the War of Ideas! So get in the fight!)
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To: West Coast Conservative
Of the 178,000 active-duty Marines in the world,...,

It just doesn't seem fair.
A lousy 178k ? That's it ?
They are everywhere, they strike respect & fear wherever they go.
The ability to inflict so much pounding, punishing, painful damage lies in the hands of so few ?

It just doesn't seem fair.

Semper Fi and Semper Fi to Sen. McCains son.
58 posted on 07/29/2006 5:12:16 PM PDT by stylin19a
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To: freema
"... the Bush Administration is struggling to reduce troop strength by the end of the year."
The goons just don't get it.
GWB with continued conviction says we shall draw down our forces based on the field commanders of the ground. Quite simple really. Struggle? Dopes.
59 posted on 07/29/2006 5:44:32 PM PDT by Marine_Uncle (Honor must be earned)
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To: Reagan Man
If by emotional instability you mean, McCain has a bad temper, I agree.

That'd be it...but he can't control it; that's the big problem - I do NOT want him to move beyond the senate.

I'm sitting out the California gubernatorial race, because I cannot punch the chad for Arnold - all is lost in this state, anyhow........but I really would have to think about a theoretical McCain versus Kerry or Gore (Hillary won't be the nominee - bookmark it), and probably hold my nose while I voted.

Bottom line: McCain is not presidential material.

60 posted on 07/29/2006 5:55:55 PM PDT by ErnBatavia (Meep Meep)
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